Fruit-evaporator



(No Model.)

A. LEHMA NN. FRUIT EVAPORATOR No. 573,787. Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

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ADOLPH LEI-IMANN, or MOOREFIELD, orn'o.

FRU lT-EVAPO RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,787, dated December 22, 1896.

Application filed June 20, 1896. Serial No. 596,353. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLPH LEHMANN, of Hoorefield, in the county of Harrison, in the State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Fruit-Evaporator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fruit drier or evaporator adapted to be suspended over a furnace, range, or stove in position to receive the heat therefrom, the object of my improvement being to provide a construction whereby acirculation of air is created throughout the device and the trays containing the fruit and situated therein.

lVith this object in view the invention consists of the details of construction and arran gement which will more fully appear hereina-fter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, embodying my improvements suspended in operative position. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line so Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the trays.

Like numerals and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, in the practical embodiment of my invention I employ a framework A, which is composed of the rectangular side pieces a a, which are held together by the braces b b and c c. The said braces may be of wood or any suitable material. In the present instance I have made the upper braces 19 and b of Wood as being more convenient for my purpose. The lower braces c and c are preferably of metal in the form of rods.

A door B, composed of a suitable frame work 0, is hinged at the bottom to the wirerod brace c by means of links cl. On the framework of the said door is tacked wireoloth D, the meshes in the said cloth being of such a size as to keep out flies, the. Oloth of a like nature is situated on the top and bottom and also the rear end of said framework A.

A hook c is provided on the brace b, said hook fitting in the staple f, situated on the top of the said door, the object thereof being to fasten the said door. In order to utilize the largest amount of heat radiated from the stove, I employ folding drop sides or curtains g, which are secured to the bottoms of the different sides or ends, as desired, by means of staples h, which pass through holes 1' in the said drop sides g, the said staples then being driven into the framework, as shown and described.

IVhen the device is small, a single dropcurtain will suflice, but when it is so made as to accommodate a large number of trays it is necessary to provide additional side curtains or sides 7a, which are secured to the drop-curtains g by means of links Z.

The drop sides g and It may be placed all around the sides, so as to inclose the entire top of the stove over which it is suspended. In the present invention no drop-curtain is placed at the rear, which is opposite the said door. \Vhen not in use and Wanted out of the way, the said sides or curtains are easily, with a movement of the hand, folded up against the sides and held in position by spring-keepers 0, which are fastened on top of the said frame. At the rear of the said frame cross-rods p, which act as braces, are secured to the two sides a and a. These rods p act as a guard and prevent the framework from striking the pipe of the stove over which the evaporator is suspended.

Cleats 2 are arranged on the inner side of the side frame a a and are used for supporting the trays :20. The number of these trays depend upon the size of the evaporator. The trays w are composed of a rectangular frame so, at the bottoms of which are tacked galvanized wire-netting p, the size of the meshes being regulated by the size of the fruit to be placed therein for drying.

To prevent the bagging or sagging of the netting p, cross-rods s are placed on the bottom of the said framework. Pivoted bails 3 are attached at their lower ends to the top of the said framework A, said bails-engaging with the supporting-rope 4. It will be readily seen that by employing the drop-curtains g and k, which hang down, inclosing the top of the stove over which they are hung, the heated air arising from the top of the stove is caused to pass through the frame containing the trays, thus drying the fruit contained therein with great rapidity and evenness.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, a framework, wire-netting secured to the top, bottom and end. of said framework, cleats situated inside of said framework, trays situated upon said cleats, said trays composed of a rectangular framework, suitable wire-netting secured to the bottom of said tray, cross-rods extending across the bottom of said tray to prew'ent bagging of netted wire, substantially [O as set forth.

2. In a device of the class herein described, the combination with a frame, bails for sup- 

